SHOWING A VIEW FROM BLACK BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER DROPPING WATER ON THE FIRE. CAMBRIDGE.
>>KENT JUSTICE: IN THE SECOND
YEAR SINCE THE CONTENTIOUS
2020 ELECTION, FLORIDA HAS
PASSED A SECOND SET OF LAWS
CONCERNING ELECTION INTEGRITY.
WHILE CRITICS CALL IT VOTER
SUPPRESSION. GOVERNOR RON
DESANTIS ANNOUNCED 5 STEPS HE
SAYS WILL ENSURE FLORIDA
ELECTIONS REMAIN SECURE AS HE
SIGNED THIS YEAR’S BILL INTO
LAW. AT A BILL SIGNING EVENT
IN SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY.
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SAYS IT
ALL POINTS TO UNHAPPY
ELECTIONS. HISTORY IN THE
STATE. MIKE, THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION IN 2000 IN 2020,
FLORIDA WAS WIDELY PRAISED FOR
HOW WELL THINGS WENT. SO YOU
ACTUALLY HAD AFTER THE 2020
ELECTION.
>> PEOPLE ARE SAYING, GEE, WHY
CAN’T EVERYONE ELSE BE LIKE
FLORIDA WHEN IT COMES TO THIS?
THEY NEVER USED TO SAY THAT. I
KNOW THAT FOR A FACT. EVEN SO
THE REPUBLICAN LED SENATE AND
HOUSE PASSED LANDMARK
LEGISLATION BOTH IN 2021 AND
NOW IN 2022. ADDING TO IT.
>>KENT JUSTICE: SUPPORTERS SAY
IT ENSURES TRANSPARENT, FAIR
ELECTIONS WITH INTEGRITY. THE
MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THIS
YEAR MAY BE CREATING A LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SPECIFIC TO
ELECTIONS. SO WE JUST WANT TO
MAKE SURE WHATEVER LAWS ARE ON
THE BOOKS THAT THOSE LAWS ARE
ENFORCED AND THAT IF PEOPLE
KNOW THAT THAT WE’RE GOING TO
ENFORCE THE LAW, I THINK
EVERYONE WILL BE VERY HAPPY.
SO WE ARE CREATING FOR THE
FIRST TIME EVER.
>> IN STATE GOVERNMENT IN
OFFICE OF ELECTION CRIMES AND
SECURITY TO BE ABLE TO
PROSECUTE.
>>JOY PURDY: THIS OFFICE WILL
ALLOW US TO DO EVEN MORE TO
WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND ENSURE THAT
WE’RE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE ANY
ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD OR
IMPROPRIETY. THE NEW LAW
SIGNED BY DESANTIS TODAY ALSO
STRENGTHENS ID REQUIREMENTS
FOR MAIL-IN BALLOT REQUIRES
ELECTION SUPERVISORS TO CHECK
VOTER ROLLS EVERY YEAR FOR
INELIGIBLE VOTERS AND
INCREASES THE PENALTY FOR
BALLOT HARVESTING. I CONTINUE
TO GET ASKED, IS IT NECESSARY?
AND THAT HAS TO BE THE COMMON
QUESTION. I’VE BEEN ASKED THE
MOST.
>> IS IT NECESSARY OR 3RD
DEGREE FELONY? YES.
>> YES. FLORIDA AGRICULTURE
COMMISSIONER NIKKI FRIED IS A
VOCAL OPPONENT OF DESANTIS AND
RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. THE
DEMOCRAT CALLS IT A VOTER
SUPPRESSION BILL AND SAID LAST
MONTH THIS BILL CREATES
UNNECESSARY AND DELIBERATE
BARRIERS TO VOTING. IT
PERPETUATES THE LIE THAT OUR
ELECTIONS ARE NOT SECURE
BEFORE THE BILL PASSED THE
NAACP OBJECTED WITH A LETTER
SPECIFICALLY REFERENCING THE
NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT.
QUOTE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF
FLORIDA’S EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVING
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AS A
TOOL OF VOTER INTIMIDATION.
AND THE ABSENCE OF ANY
EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD
WRONGDOING BY VOTERS IN
FLORIDA’S ELECTIONS. THESE
PROPOSAL SHOULD BE REJECTED.
THERE’S ONE ADDITIONAL ELEMENT
TO THE NEW LAW. THE GOVERNOR
SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT ZACK OR
BUCKS. ALL RIGHT. WHAT DOES
THAT PHRASE MEAN? I LOOK TO
POLITIFACT FROM THE POYNTER
INSTITUTE AND THEY SUMMARIZE
IT THIS WAY.
>>KENT JUSTICE: THE DAY-TO-DAY
OPERATIONS ELECTIONS LARGELY
FUNDED FOR CITY AND COUNTY
DOLLARS. COSTS INCLUDE RUNNING
VOTING SITES, MAILING OUT
PROCESSING ABSENTEE BALLOT
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT IN 2020
ELECTIONS, OFFICERS COULDN’T
AFFORD THE NEW EXPENSES TO
SAFELY HOLD ELECTIONS.
FACEBOOK CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG
DONATED GRANT MONEY. NOW
REPUBLICAN BACKLASH HAS LED TO
STATE BANS ON PRIVATE FUNDING
FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS. LOCAL
ELECTIONS OFFICES RISK NOT
HAVING ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE
2022 CYCLE.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING.
THIS IS NOW GETTING MORE IN
MORE RECENT MONTHS. IT WAS NOT
NECESSARILY BEING TALKED ABOUT
HUGELY WHEN WE DID IT IN
FLORIDA, BUT WE KNEW WAS
IMPORTANT. SO WE GOT AHEAD OF
NOW PEOPLE ARE TALKING A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT AND
SAYS OCCUR. BURGUM SELF IS
ACTUALLY COME COME UP AND
SAID, YOU KNOW, IN 2022, I’M
NOT DOING ZUCKERBUCKS THIS
YEAR. YOU KNOW, I’M NOT DOING
IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, HERE’S THE
THING. THE FACT THAT WE BAN
ZUCKERBUCKS, WE HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS TO DO. HE
CAN DO IT IN FLORIDA NO MATTER
WHAT.
>>KENT JUSTICE: THE CENTER FOR
TECH AND CIVIC LIFE OFFERED
GRANTS TO ELECTIONS OFFICES.
SO POLITIFACT SAYS THAT THE
CENTER IS FUNDED BY THE CHAN
ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE AND
DELIVERED 350 MILLION DOLLARS
IN GRANTS FOR ELECTIONS IN
2020. AMONG 2500
JURISDICTIONS, THE CENTER
DIRECTOR SAYS EVERY SINGLE
JURISDICTION THAT APPLIED
RECEIVED A GRANT IN THE LAW TO
SANTA SIGNED. TODAY. IT